Beansmile Co., Ltd

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Product Manager of eBest Pty Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Online grocery e-commerce, delivery to customers doorstep.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Beansmile Co., Ltd to accomplish?

• Develop the ebest website.
• Develop the ebest mobile application, including iOS app and Android app.
• Develop the ebest WeChat Mini Program.

SOLUTION

How did you find Beansmile Co., Ltd?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Beansmile Co., Ltd over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Beansmile Co., Ltd were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Technical Architecture Design:
  • Database Design
  • Design a database compatible with WeChat Mini Program, apps, and web.
  • Technology Framework Design
  • Design an extensible and robust technology framework that can support WeChat Mini Program, apps, and web concurrently.
  • Ensure the technology framework meets the development requirements of WeChat Mini Program, apps, and web while ensuring optimal performance.
  • Integrate Alibaba Cloud services for hosting, database management, and other backend operations.
  •  API encryption to ensure data security.
• Deployment on Alibaba Cloud:
  • Set up and configure Alibaba Cloud instances to host web, apps, and WeChat Mini Program.
  • Utilize Alibaba Cloud's security features to ensure efficient and secure deployment.
  • Implement continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to facilitate ongoing development and updates.
  • Monitor the performance and scalability of the deployment environment and make adjustments as necessary.
• Product Continuous Iteration
• Operational Activity Maintenance and Support

Key Deliverables include:

• Technical Documentation:
  • Comprehensive technical documentation outlining the backend architecture, including database schemas, API specifications, and deployment procedures.
  • Detailed product architecture documentation, including user flow diagrams and functional specifications.
• Backend Services:
  • Fully functional backend services hosted on Alibaba Cloud, including the setup of servers, databases, and APIs.
  • Secure and optimized backend codebase capable of handling user requests and data management.
• Frontend Development:
  • Complete frontend implementation for WeChat Mini Programs, Web, and APP, including all user-facing features and interfaces.
  • Responsive design ensuring compatibility with various devices and screen sizes.
• Deployment and Testing:
  • Successful deployment of WeChat Mini Programs, APP, and Web on Alibaba Cloud, with all necessary configurations and optimizations.
  • Comprehensive testing and quality assurance to ensure the product operates as expected without any critical errors or issues.
  • Performance and security testing to ensure the application can handle the expected user load and prevent potential threats.
• Training and Handover:
  • Training sessions for the client's technical team to familiarize them with the architecture, deployment processes, and maintenance procedures.
  • Handover of all relevant documentation, codebases, and access credentials to the client's team for ongoing management and updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

At the beginning of 2020, during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we envisioned the concept of fresh produce delivery to minimize human contact. We collaborated with the Beansmile team, who provided invaluable advice based on their experience in operating and developing community products in the Chinese market.

Combining this with the local culture of the Australian market and our company's strengths, we quickly developed a series of products under the Ebest brand. Rapid iteration and swift response were the core principles of the project.

Starting from a WeChat Mini Program, we have now launched iOS and Android apps, as well as a web platform. We have accumulated a large user base and achieved significant revenue figures. The Ebest brand has gained a certain level of recognition in Sydney, Australia.

Impressive Platform Data:

• Total Users: 170,000+
• Transaction Volume: Nearly 100 million AUD
• Average Order Value: 80 AUD
• Conversion Rate: 40%

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

• On-Time Delivery:
  • Beansmile consistently delivered products on schedule at the milestone points outlined in the project plan.
  • The project development was always executed according to the plan.
• Proactive Communication:
  • During the project implementation, Beansmile actively communicated whenever issues arose.
  • They regularly provided updates on project progress and encountered issues, along with proposed solutions.
  • They responded promptly to any inquiries and project-related questions, meeting customer needs in various aspects.
  • They actively sought customer feedback to ensure the delivered products met customer expectations.
• Adaptability and Flexibility:
  • As the project evolved, Beansmile demonstrated flexibility in adapting to changes and new requirements.
  • They proactively suggested improvements and adjustments to better achieve project goals.

What was your primary form of communication with Beansmile Co., Ltd?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

• Extensive E-commerce Development and Operation Experience:
  • Beansmile possesses extensive experience in e-commerce development and operations, providing clients with highly effective technical solutions and operational advice, resulting in significant outcomes.
• Exceptional Technical Capabilities:
  • The Beansmile team demonstrates exceptional technical capabilities and continuously updates their technical knowledge base. They can easily address any issues encountered during the project, meeting various client needs.
  • They exhibit outstanding technical expertise in developing scalable and secure backend architectures and deploying on Alibaba Cloud, ensuring high performance, reliability, and security of the project.
  • They continuously learn new technologies and update their knowledge base, showing vitality and a progressive spirit.
• Customer-Centric Approach:
  • Beansmile is fundamentally committed to meeting customer needs, maintaining proactive communication with clients, incorporating their feedback, and fulfilling their requirements.
• Adaptability and Problem-Solving Skills:
  • The Beansmile team demonstrates the ability to adapt to changes and actively resolves issues or challenges encountered during the project, showcasing excellent problem-solving skills and flexibility.

The Beansmile team excels in local expertise, technical capabilities, customer orientation, and problem-solving skills, making them a highly trustworthy partner. Their professionalism and friendliness provide clients with a sense of reassurance and trust.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Beansmile Co., Ltd could have done differently?

Beansmile is an outstanding company. Their comprehensive understanding of the e-commerce industry, exceptional technical capabilities, and continuous learning ability, all centered around meeting customer needs, have made our ongoing collaboration very pleasant and smooth. As a result, there are no areas that require improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a recycling company that focuses on things that you would consider non-recyclable. We work with big corporations like L'Oreal, P&G, and Unilever. I'm in charge of operations in China.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Beansmile?

We have a different Internet system in China, so we had to migrate our system and server into China to ensure the speed of accessing the website. Our main server is in the U.S., and we have a tech team in Hungary. We operate in 20 countries, 19 of which use the server in the U.S. Due to Chinese regulations, we had to migrate our server to China for use within the country.

The website is member-based. Clients have to sign up for our recycling program, and the backend system keeps track of clients. As a collector, if you join our recycling program, you can donate to a charity through our points system. The complex website is written in Ruby on Rails.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Beansmile worked with our IT team to set up the server in China, make the necessary changes and translations on the website, migrate the system into China, and then make sure the systems are talking to each other and in sync in terms of the data transitions internationally. They also migrated the website. Our IT team in Hungary handled most of the technical aspects and communications. 

What is the team dynamic?

They provided all the technical support. We mainly worked with Leon [Du, Co-founder], and he assigned projects to Edward [Chan, Project Manager].

How did you come to work with Beansmile?

I was referred by a friend who had some experience with Beansmile, and he was really happy with them. We met and discussed the project, and I felt like they were a competent team.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from July through October of 2016. When we have technical issues, we consult with them and they're quick to help.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Through the website platform, we have collected 50,000 pieces of waste from China.

How did Beansmile perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed pretty well. They were a bit busy with other projects at the beginning, but they caught up very quickly. Overall, I'm pretty happy with their speed and service.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're always available. Whenever I contacted them, they replied very quickly. If the problem couldn’t be solved right away, they gave me an estimate of how long it might take. I was very impressed by that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s a minor issue, but they could have communicated more about their time and expectations. They caught up towards the end or in the middle of the project, but at the beginning, they were slow in terms of delivery because they had multiple projects going on.

Company Responses

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a project/product manager at Tower Systems. I did the design for the product and coordinated the outsourcing team as well as scheduling of everything.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Beansmile?

Tower Systems had a variety of retail products for small businesses that run retail stores. A lot of existing customers were asking for task management software. At the same time, the company was selling retail software and wanted to switch to a faster model. We needed help developing and launching the new product called Ezitask.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The software allows bosses to assign tasks to employees and allows employees to collaborate and break tasks into different steps. Tasks can even be assigned to people inside the company or outside the company with scheduling features, etc. We built a prototype in about 3 months. After beta launching, we asked for many new features over time.

We used Ruby on Rails for the backend. It wasn’t just a website. There was the website with frontend and the server backend. They used a JavaScript framework on the frontend. They refactored it a couple of times. There was also an Objective-C iOS app and an Android app.

The goal of the website was to make it easy to use for older small business owners who weren’t proficient in computer use. The app features a drag and drop in the frontend so that tasks can be dragged into different categories. It also has live updating, which show up as push notifications to the user. The main interface was a dashboard with a 3-tiered navigation. You could also assign tasks to people outside your company or new employees. That would cause trigger emails to be sent to those people asking them to either sign up or to complete the task.

Mobile has a whole set of features as well. They can receive push notifications about new tasks. When an employee receives a task, they can complete it. Then, the boss can give praise to the employee, or reject the task and send it back to them. All this comes with notifications and personal settings that they set.

How did you come to work with Beansmile?

We were looking for outsourcing firms. We were happy to find Beansmile. They were a small company. At the time, there were 7 people; now they’re around 30 people. Everyone there had a passion for coding. Their programming practices impressed us and were the reason why we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We didn’t spend a lot on the initial development, but we kept adding features and having them maintain our project. Over 3 years, we spent a total of around $100,000. The initial build was probably $10,000-$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in Summer 2013 until 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I left Tower shortly after we did the beta launch. I believe there were about 3,000 users at the time. After that, they did a lot more marketing around it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They self-manage really well. They saved me a ton of time because I was doing the product design and the timeline management. They manage themselves. The bosses, Rain [Chen, Co-Founder] and Leon [Du, Co-Founder] did a lot of training with their team. They’re constantly improving their own skills. They have tech talks within their company. They were an entity that kept improving itself. This helped us because we didn’t have to go hire and train. They’re doing code review, good commenting in the check-ins, and good testing procedures. It’s a professional organization.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes they get busy if there’s a lot of demand for their services, so I’d have to coordinate with them to reserve resources. That has become a little better now that they’ve grown to more than 20 people.